Putting practice plays an important role in improving a golfer's overall score. Accordingly, golfers spend a significant amount of time on practice greens.
A practice green usually contains a number of golf holes on a smooth, closely mown putting surface. Each golf hole has a circular shape of regulation diameter and is made by inserting a putting cup into the ground slightly below the putting surface. A golf ball, having a diameter considerably smaller than the golf hole diameter, falls easily into the golf hole even when it is not directed to the hole's center.
Practice devices exist to improve a golfer's putting accuracy. Some of such devices provide a reduced-diameter putting hole for practicing. Such devices generally consist of a bushing-like insert with an outer diameter about equal to the golf hole diameter and a concentric inner diameter somewhat smaller than the golf hole diameter. Such devices are inserted within the practice cup to effectively reduce the diameter of the golf hole for practice purposes. For examples of such devices, refer to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,280,698 to Troiano and 4,900,023 to Gelina.
The invention described below is a device for placing over a golf hole to create a reduced-diameter practice hole while providing important advantages over the prior art devices mentioned above.